THOMAS STEVENSON CAUGHT IN GREENOCK ONLINE PREDATOR STING INVOLVING PAISLEY TEENAGER

In January 2021, a disturbing case emerged involving Thomas Stevenson, a resident of Greenock, who was apprehended after engaging in a sinister online grooming scheme. Stevenson, aged 54, was caught in an undercover operation where he believed he was communicating with a 14-year-old girl. In reality, he was speaking with an adult woman posing as a schoolgirl, part of a decoy operation aimed at exposing online predators.

During the course of the investigation, Stevenson used two popular dating applications, 'Skout' and 'Meet Me,' to contact the decoy between October and December 2019. The decoy, who was part of a group called Child Protectors Scotland, had informed Stevenson that she was 14 years old and lived in Paisley. Despite her warnings that his requests were 'mingin' and 'pure embarrassing,' Stevenson persisted in his attempts to engage her in explicit conversations.

He repeatedly asked her if she had touched herself privately and went as far as encouraging her to go to the bathroom and describe her feelings. Stevenson also made inappropriate comments about her body and asked whether she was bisexual, revealing a disturbing pattern of predatory behavior. The court heard that he went into graphic detail about what he wanted the 'child' to do, constantly pressing her about her private activities.

His actions were brought to an abrupt end when the decoy and two other members of her group confronted him at his residence on Inverkip Road before calling the police. Stevenson was arrested at his home, where he maintained that he was only talking to her, claiming no further intent.

At Greenock Sheriff Court, prosecutor John Penman outlined the case, emphasizing that Stevenson’s communications were aimed at obtaining sexual gratification and involved indecent communication with an individual he believed to be a child. The court was told that Stevenson had pleaded guilty to these charges.

In a sentencing hearing, Sheriff Andrew McIntyre expressed his concern over the case, describing the content of Stevenson’s messages as very disturbing. While noting that Stevenson had no apparent intention to take his actions further, the sheriff highlighted the seriousness of his conduct and the inappropriate manner in which he attempted to groom a minor.

Instead of a custodial sentence, Stevenson was given a community-based disposal, which includes a three-year supervision order and an electronic tagging requirement. The sheriff warned that failure to comply with the imposed conditions could result in imprisonment. As part of his supervision, Stevenson is prohibited from leaving the UK without permission, must avoid contact with anyone under 16 without approval, and is restricted in his use of electronic devices. He is limited to owning one mobile phone or computer with internet access, and must provide serial numbers and passwords to supervising officers.

Furthermore, Stevenson is only permitted to use approved apps, cannot delete his internet search history, and must not access social media without permission. All devices he owns are subject to monitoring, and he must allow physical access when requested. The tagging order restricts him to his home between 8 pm and 8 am for a year. Stevenson will also remain on the Sex Offenders Register for five years, reflecting the gravity of his offending behavior.